Rotary internal-combustion engine



' May 10, 1938. D. s. JAY

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1935May 10, 1938.

D. S. JAY

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2r INVENTOR.

BY H V I ATTORNEY Patented May 10, 1 938 v UNITED STATES 4 Claims.

This invention relates to rotary internal com- .bustion engines.

Heretofore rotary engines have usually been many attempts have been madeto make a satisfactory rotary engine of the internal combustion type. Iam informed and. believe that, on the whole, such attempts failed,although some of 20 them were more indicative of success than others.

I am also informed and believe that the majority I of the failures ofthe more successful attempts were due in the most part to the fact thatthe explosion chambers, were located in the rotor where it is diflicult,and so far it has been impossible, to provide a satisfactory coolingsystem. For this reason I conceived the idea of locating the explosionchambers in the housing surrounding the rotor where they may be readilycooled 30 in the usual manner and my invention embodies this idea. a Theprincipal object of this invention lies in the provision of .a rotaryinternal combustion type engine of simple construction and few moving 35parts which is driven by the force of explosions of fuel acting upon thecammed faces of grooves located in the rotor.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of control valvesactuated directly .by 40 cam surfaces on the rotor for controlling theintake of fuel into the combustion chamber 'and controlling the exhausttherefrom.

These andother objects and novel features of the invention will appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which: a

Fig. l is a cross sectional view of my rotary internal combustion typeengine. 50 Fig'. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation showingthe valve operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of 55 Fig. 2.

well-known fastening means.

PATENT OFFlCE 2,116,897 v ROTARY INTERNAL-COIHBUSTION ENGINE Dove S.-Jay, Detroit, Mich. v Application March 15, 1935 Serial No. 11,278 (01.123-45) by numerals 3, 4, 5, and 6. They are cam-shaped,

having a quickly falling surface at one end and 1 gradually rising tothe outer circumference of the rotor at the other end, as may be clearlyseen in Fig. 1. These grooves act as driving or firing cams as will behereafter explained.

A circumferential housing I surrounds the rotor and is provided with endplates 8""cooprating therewith in forming a complete housing for therotor. Each end plate 8 carries a suitable bearing 9 surrounding thedrive shaft I.

.A portion of the housing is enlarged to accommodate. certain partshereinafter to be described.

'I prefer to locate the enlarged part of the hous ing in the upperportion thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

In this enlarged portion of the housing I provide four explosion orcombustion chambers of arcuate outline, I0, I I, I2, and IS, in whichare respectively mounted, abutment valves ll, l5, l6, and I1, rigidlysecured to their respective rock shafts l8, I9, 20, and 2!, as by keysor other 39 These chambers are staggered in the same manner as thesemicircumferential grooves in the rotor, thus permitting the abutmentvalve of each chamber to drop only into its corresponding groove andcausing said valve to ride on the offset portion of the rotor over thefollowing groove. 7

The outermost end of each of said rock shafts extends through a bearing2 l a extending through the end plates of the housing and the end of 40each such shaft has secured to it a vane member 22 enclosed in acircular chamber vl3 formed by a closure or bracke'tmember 24 secured tothe end plates 8 of the housing.-

In each of the chambers 23 there is located a stop member 25, see Fig.4. This stop member.

serves a two-fold purpose. One side-or face of it prevents itsassociated abutment valve from turning beyond a certain point in case ofa r rear face of the'stop member acts as aseat for 1 any type of springmeans that may be'mounted in the circular chamber to press the vane 22in the direction of the first mentioned face of the stop member, thuscausing the said toe of the valve to follow the periphery of the rotor.For this purpose, I have shown a coiled spring 26 mounted in each ofsaid circular chambers 23, having one end abutting against the rear faceof the stop member and the other end abutting against one side of thevane 22.

The innermost end of each rock shaft terminates in a central bearing 21located in the housing 1.

The abutment valves It, l5, l6, and .II are somewhat L shaped, havingtwo arms, one arm preferably being longer than the other. The long armof the abutment valve is herein designated the toe 28 and the short armis designated the heel 29. The contour of the explosion or com- 7 sureis equal and opposite in direction, any ex plosion that takes place inthe explosion chambers will tend to force the toe 28 into its respectivegroove in the rotor, thereby aiding the springs 28 in operating theabutment valves. Thus the toe may be described as a follower or followerarm, as it follows the periphery of the rotor, or as a contact arm as itcontinuously contacts the rotor.

Each of the explosion or combustion chambers In, H, I2, and i3 isprovided with an intake port 38 and an exhaust port 33. Each intake port3| is so located that, when the toe of the abutment valve located in itsassociated combustion chamber is not riding in its respective groove inthe rotor, fuel may pass through the port 3i into the combustionchamber, as clearly shown in the dotted line position of the abutmentvalves l6 and I1 shown in Fig. 1. The said dotted lines not only showthe position of the abutment valves l4 and 15 when riding on the surfaceof the rotor, but also show the position of the abutment'valves l8 andI1 in the other two explosion chambers when toe 28 of abutment valve Mis about to ride up on the surface of the rotor and toe 28 of abutmentvalve 15 has ridden down the cam surface of its respective groove in therotor.

The heel 29 of each of said abutment valves is of greater thickness thanthe toe and is arranged to close the exhaust port to its respectivecombustion chamber when its respective intake port is open to saidcombustion chamber and vice versa.

This abutment valve and the inlet port and exhaust port constructionpermits fuel to enter each associated combustion'chamber prior to thetime that the toe of its associated abutment valve drops into itsrespective groove in the rotor, at which time the usual ignition system(not shown) is timed to explode the charge, the pressure of -theexplosion acting upon the cammed groove in the rotor and forcing the flywheel to rotate;

the exhaust of the previous explosion passes out through the groove,thence through the lower portion of the explosion chamber beneath theabutment valve and thence out .the exhaust P rt 33.

The fuel is fed to the motor under pressure by any suitable means (notshown) through valves communicating with the inlet ports of therespective explosion or combustion chambers. I have shown twooscillating valve units 31, each unit supplying gas or fuel alternatelyto two associated explosion chambers. Each oscillating valve unitcomprises a stationary hollow casing 39 enclosing a hollow sleeve 4 Isaid sleeve being oscillatable by a shaft 43 attached to and enclosingone end thereof. Each of said rock shafts 43 extends through a cap 45threaded or otherwise secured to one end of the hollow casing 39.

Each of the said oscillatable valve sleeves ll is provided with twodischarge ports 41, spaced to I .with its associated operatingmechanism. Each 'such mechanism comprises an eccentric or cam member 5|mounted on the drive shaft I, a supporting collar or band member 53having a projecting member 55, a connecting rod 51 having one, endsecured to said projecting member, and a rocker arm 59, one end of whichis pivotally connected to the other end of the connecting rod and theother end of which is fixedly. secured to the rock shaft 53.

Any suitable ignition system may be used. I have shown the usual sparkplugs 6| mounted in chambers 63 registering with their respectiveexplosion chambers.

The enlarged portion of the casing is suitably bored to provide for awater cooling system 65. The firing'end of each driving cam or groove inthe rotor is preferably provided with sealing means to prevent leakageof pressure or of explosive charge, etc. between the outer surface ofthe rotor and the inner surface of the housing. Preferably someexpansible sealing means should be used. I have provided a pivotallymounted expansible sealing check. 61 having a projecting arm 69 which isadapted to be forced against the inner surface of the housing by thedriving force of the explosion. This sealing means is of considerablebenefit as it is advisable to make the outer diameter of the fly wheelsmaller than the bore of the housing so as to avoid excessive friction.

It will be seen that my rotary internal combustion engine comprises fourexplosion chambers which are arranged in the rotor housing to cooperatewith respective ones of four semi-circular grooves in the rotor.chambers are arranged in staggered pairs so that the toe of the abutmentvalve in each combustion chamber is prevented from following thedepressed surface of any other but its correspond--' .ing groove afterwhich it rides up out of the groove onto the outer periphery of therotor and doesnot enter the following groove. As the rotor turns in acounter-clockwise direction the sparking is timed to explode the gas ineach combustion chamber just as the toe of its valve begins to followthe depressed portion of the.cor-

' responding groove.

The grooves and the parts in the approximate position that they.

valve M riding up the'inclined surface of groove 3 onto the outerperiphery of the rotor, subsequent to the explosion of the chamber I 0.In a diagrammatic view Fig. 5, the parts are shown in the same position.In Fig. 1, I have also shown will occupy when the gas in chamber II isexploding and this may also be seen in Fig. 5, it being remembered thatthe groove 4 is directly adjacent or under chamber II at this time. Alsoin Fig. 1, the abutment valves 16 and I1, designated in dotted lines,are shown in the positions they would then occupy in chambers 12 and I 3since they are riding over the ofiset grooves at this time, as shown inFig. 5, due to the fact that toe 28 of valve 16 is only adapted to ridein groove ii and toe 28 of valve I1 is only adapted to ride in groove 5.As the rotor revolves further to the left, toe 28 of valve I will rideover but will not enter groove 4 and toe 28 of valve l5 will ride overbut will not enter groove 3.

In Fig. 1, chamber II is shown with the heel 29 of abutment valve 15having cut oil the intake port 3| and having opened exhaust port 33 andwith the toe 28 of said valve having followed the depressed face ofsemi-circumferential groove 4, due to the action of the spring 26. Asthe force of the explosion in this chamber turns the rotor further tothe left, toe 28 of abutment valve Ii, as shown by dotted lines in Fig.1, will follow the depressed surface of groove 6 (see Fig. 5) and thenan explosion will take place in chamber I 3 (see Fig. 2) at exactlythesame time that the rotor has revolved ninety degrees counterclockwisefrom the position shown in'Fig. 1, In like manner, an explosion willnext take place in chamber 12, which is under the chamber I 0 shown inFig. 1, and then in chamber ll,'two explosions taking placesimultaneously each half turn of the rotor, and only one explosiontaking place in each chamber on each complete revolution of the rotor. I

Aside from the specific embodiment of the invention herein shown anddescribed, it'will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction may be altered or omitted without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed, and that I do notdesire to limit the invention to the exact construction herein setforth.

I claim: I

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, in combination, a housinghaving an opening therethrough, a rotor rotatably mounted in saidopening and having two pairs of opposed and staggered recessed portionstherein, two pairs of opposed combustion chambers positioned in saidhousing and opening into said rotor opening, each combustion chamberhaving an inlet conduit and an' exhaust conduit, valves communicatingwith the inlet conduits and adapted to open thereto in series sequence,a pivoted lever mounted in each of said combustion chambers, each leverhaving two arms, one arm of each lever being longer than the other andbeing adapted to move into and out of its respective recessed portion ofsaid rotor,

duits.

the other arm of each lever acting as a closing means to close eithersaid intake or exhaust conduit in its respective combustion chamber andmeans for pressing the longer arm of each lever toward the rotor.

2. In combination in a rotary internal combustion engine, a housinghaving a substantially cylindrical opening therein, a rotor of suitableconformation for rotating therein, bearing means for journalling saidrotor in said opening, a plurality of combustion chambers in saidhousing connecting through the side walls of said rotor receivingopening, a plurality of grooves recessed circumferentially in theperipheral surface of said rotor, ports connecting from and to each ofsaid chambers, a valve pivotally mounted in each of said chambers forcontrolling the flow of gas to and from the respective ports, a' valveactuating member projecting from each valve for actuating the same inaccordance with the bottom contour of a corresponding one of saidgrooves, and said chambers, valves and grooves being offset axially instaggered relation so that, as the rotor rotates, each valve actuatingmember enters only a corresponding one of the grooves and passes freelyover all the other grooves.

3. In a rotary internal combustion-engine, in combination, a housinghaving an opening therethrough, a rotor having recesses thereinrotatably mounted in said opening, opposed combustion chambers in saidhousing and opening into said rotor opening, each of said combustionchambers having an inlet conduit leading through the side wall and anexhaust conduit leading therethrough, and an abutment valve mounted ineach combustion chamber, each valve having a long arm adapted to contactthe periphery of the rotor and. a thickheel actuated by contact of saidcontact side wall of each chamber to alternately close the respectiveinlet and outlet conduits of the combustion chamber in which it islocated.

4. In a rotary internal combustion engine, in combination, a housinghaving an opening therethrough, a rotor having recessed portions thereinrotatably mounted in said opening, said recessed portions being axiallystaggered, opposed combustion chambers positioned in-said housing andopening into said rotor opening, a pair of valves mounted on saidhousing. intake conduits connecting from said valves through the sidewalls of said combustion chambers and exhaust conduits leading throughthe side walls of said combustion chambers, closing means in saidchambers for said intake and exhaust conduits, said closing meanscomprising pivoted levers each having two arms, one of said levers beingmounted in each combustion chamber, one arm of each lever acting as afollower and suitably disposed axially for contacting the correspondingrecessed portion of said rotor, and the other arm of each levercomprising a thick flow restricting heel engaging the side wall of itschamber and acting as a closing means to close either said intake orexhaust con- DOVE S. JAY.

'am with the rotor and adapted to engage the

